IPhone sells out in five days

Unprecedented demand for Apple's iPhone 3G has seen the next generation mobile sold out five days after its launch.

Unprecedented demand for Apple’s iPhone 3G has seen the next generation mobile sold-out five days after its launch

The popularity of the new model has taken retailers by surprise, with O2 and Carphone Warehouse shelves emptied and customers turned away disappointed.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs lauded the iPhone 3G's 'stunning opening weekend' after Apple clocked the product's millionth sale on its third day of trading this Sunday. Yet the phone's popularity has forced many customers to shop for alternatives.

O2 has said that it is 'confident' that all customers who want iPhone 3G 'will get one by the end of this summer', but that might not be quick enough to satisfy ever increasing demand.

The rush may have come as a blessing in disguise for Apple's competitors as shoppers explore the rest of a saturated market.

'There are some great value high-end handsets on the market if people are looking for an alternative to the iPhone,' says Rob Barnes, head of broadband and mobiles at moneysupermarket.com.

Encouragingly, Barnes also stresses that many of the iPhone alternatives are offered free by providers with a contract, saving customers at least £100.

'The iPhone is undoubtedly a fantastic device' says Barnes, 'but customers should think carefully about what they want from a phone before buying one.'

O2 and T-Mobile both offer the Nokia N95 free on selected tariffs but with a 'far superior' camera to that of the iPhone, while Barnes also highlights the touchscreen capabilities of the LG secret and the 'cutting-edge design' of the HTC Diamond as direct competition for Apple.

With no sign of a slowdown in demand for the iPhone 3G and with credit crunch inflation figures way above expectations, iPhone's sell-out may well prove a fillip to Apple's competitors this summer.